Made by a Fabricista: Channeling my Inner Coco Chanel

Hi Everyone! My name is Johanna Ali and I am SEW excited to be a Fabric Mart Fabricista! I’ve been shopping with Fabric Mart for years and have been wanting to be a Fabricista since then too, so I jumped at the opportunity as soon as they posted it. So, here I am. I will be sharing my Chanel Inspired Jacket and how I made my own trim.

The classic Chanel Jacket is iconic and sophisticated as it should be with the price tag associated with them. Usually, the classic Chanel Jacket is made using a tweed or a bouclé fabric and are hand sewn. This is what makes them couture. Other distinct characteristics are the front pockets, the ornate buttons and trim as well as the chain weighted hem. The lining is also quilted to the jacket.

There are several patterns produced by the big 4 pattern companies that you can use for this make. Initially, I was going to use Vogue 8804, but I decided to go in a different direction and used Simplicity 8741 instead with some modifications.

I sewed view A. I removed the front facing of the jacket because I was not going to add any closures to it. I removed 2 inches from the sleeve hem and I used the pockets from Vogue 8804.

While searching for fabric on Fabric Mart Fabrics website, I came across this beautiful Royal Blue/Black Polyester Geometric Design Boucle Suiting. I selected this fabric because blue is my favorite color. I also selected it because I really liked the pattern on the fabric. Since there aren’t any straight lines, I wouldn’t have to worry about pattern matching.

Another distinct feature that I love about the Chanel Jacket are the infinite options you can use for the trim. If you go on Pinterest and look up Chanel Jacket trims you will truly be mind blown. Some trims you might see are ribbon, chain, braided trim and even pearls. I decided to make my own! It’s not as difficult as you might think. Cut 2” strips of fabric on the bias of your fabric. Sew a zig zag stitch on the fabric down the center of the length of your strip of fabric. Also, I cut mine on the fold and I sewed both pieces together. Then, I used a seam ripper to separate the fabric threads and that’s it! I’m kind of kidding. Pack your patience as you’ll have to make enough to go ALL around ALL of the outer seams of your jacket as well as your pockets. It will be so worth it in the end. I promise.

Although, I totally cheated and didn’t sew a traditional couture garment, I am so in love with my Chanel Inspired Jacket. It’s so chic! As I said above, I really love that you can totally customize your jacket and give it your personal touch.

I hope you all enjoyed my jacket as much as I do.

Until next time!

JOHANNA | @soveryjo

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: BOUCLE & SUITING.

Made By A Fabricista: A Tipsy Martini Transitional Three Piece Look

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November. At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart) and replicated the designer pajamas. But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family. This print is much too cute to hide out at home. This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times. Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

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